


When a Hero Doesn't Need the Villain Wrangler (or: Emmaline and the Black Dog)

by roguefaerie (samidha)



Series: The Villain Wrangler: Negotiations and Natterings [3]
Category: Supernatural, The Tick (TV 2017), The Villain Wrangler (Tumblr)
Genre: All the rest of the stuff that comes with Parallel Storms, Depression, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Estrangement, Family, Family Drama, Gen, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Moderated Comments, Not Comedy, Parallel Universes, Protective Dean Winchester, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:25:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12376305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samidha/pseuds/roguefaerie
Summary: The Villain Wrangler finds Dean. Dean is having none of it. Strike-out. At least for now.





	When a Hero Doesn't Need the Villain Wrangler (or: Emmaline and the Black Dog)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sirensnares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirensnares/gifts), [Akumasfate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumasfate/gifts).



> There are so many ways I could have introduced Dean to TVW. There are so many AUs that Dean is in/AU Deans that exist in my brain. Here's one -- I may write others. I thought about including several different AU Deans in one fic (chaptered or whatever), but this fic deserves to stand alone.

About a week after his oldest friend Josie has her surgery, Dean is visiting the hospital again.

Em is not doing well.

Josie is recovering at home, and is kinda down for the count but tells him the worst is over and she knows he should be with Emmaline.

She’s there for not great reasons, and he has to time his visits with visiting hours where she is, but she has made it through the experience okay, and he’s with her when he can be.

As he walks in like a normal person, he sees...this guy.

Okay, the guy is wearing a suit. Like a super hero suit. But it’s not like..a good suit. It is not a good look at all.

This guy. This freakin’ guy. Does the thing. The thing! The “You’re Dean and I know who you are,” thing.

God dammit. Spotted. Pegged.

Dean bolts and the door between him and suit-guy locks.

*~*~*

He can only be with Em a little while, though. She’s tired. Miserable. She’s not sure she’ll make it through this, although he knows the worst is over and that she will--she’s got him, dammit.

This guy. Suit guy. Is still there. Like he’s waiting for Dean.

This time he locks eyes with Dean from behind the mask of his suit.

Okay, this is freakin’ weird. Like maybe a case kinda weird, like maybe Sam should be here.

Even if where Dean goes to are his own places, their own places. If this is a case--

“Mr. Winchester,” says the man in the suit. “We need to talk.”

And he should drop-kick this man for asking him to do anything with Em in there all messed up. He should but he won’t.

He’ll go into hunter mode, he’ll compare notes, he’ll eat his pain and clog his arteries, he’ll--

“I don’t have time for this right now,” Dean says, in his most “I know you do but I really don’t but I’m trying to be Sam because we’re in a hospital” voice. “I just do not have time for this right now.”

“Mr. Winchester. We are aware of your capabilities. And we would like to put them to good use.”

Dean has been running a one man show this whole time, his whole life, at least when it came to visiting “the kids,” helping “the kids.”

“I’m not gonna corporatize or whatever the hell you’re callin’ it. These are my friends. I don’t know who you are, Weasel Man, but there’s something about you. I don’t trust you.”

“Have it your way. But are you sure Sam would feel the same?”

“Sam doesn’t need a corporate….man in a suit. What is this about?”

The suit guy just looks at him.

“You can’t bottle what I do. These are things I do for my friends. My family.”

“I see.””

“And frankly, asshole, one of my friends is hurting and sick right now, and the way you’re coming all up in here with a plan, it’s gross. They’re my friends. You’re not gonna save ‘em, you’re not gonna make this a corporate thing, you’re not gonna beat me.”

“Well, Dean, if you ever start to feel differently...here’s my card.”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“It’s good to know who’s out there, fighting the fight. It’s good to know what the options are. Keep ‘em open.”

“I was doin’ this work when you were in diapers but okay, suit guy.”

“Sure, I’m sure you were, Dean.”

“I work alone.”

“With Sam.”

And it chafes that he knows, knows enough to know about Sam. And it means something.

“Yeah. With Sam. Are you gonna get out of my face? Or am I gonna have to take that as a threat?”

“Keep me on your radar.”

“Oh, I will.”

*~*~*

Dean turns on his heel and goes right back in to see Emmaline without another word.

“Dean,” she says, “I don’t have any family. Nobody comes for me.”

He looks her right in the eye and shrugs really slow. He’s seen this before, maybe not this bad or in this way, but everyone is different, no two situations work themselves out the same. “I’m here,” he says, “You got me. You got Sam. We got you.”

“I know I’ve got you, I know I’ve got family,” she says. “And it’s true, but then why does it hurt so much, Dean?”

“‘Cause, Em. They weren’t supposed to let you go. Not like that. But I’m here. Okay? I’m here. And we’ll get through this together. All of us. You pull from every direction you can. You’ll make it through and I’ll be here to celebrate.”

She goes quiet, and he knows the look on her face from when it’s been on his. Words are impossible now. He hugs her tightly and stays right beside her until he can’t hold the connection any more and he has to fade out.


End file.
